Marking anorexia with a brain proteinJune 24, 2009A biomarker for anorexia? Eating disorders are frequently seen as psychological or societal diseases, but do they have an underlying biological cause? A new study shows that the levels of a brain protein differ between healthy and anorexic women. Anorexia is a serious and occasionally fatal eating disorder most commonly affecting women. Scientists do not yet understand the physical causes of anorexia, though some studies suggest a link to low levels of a brain protein called BDNF. Now, a study recommended by Cynthia Bulik, a member of Faculty of 1000 Medicine and leading expert in the field of psychiatry and eating disorders, shows that BDNF levels are higher in women who have recovered from anorexia. This suggests that low BDNF levels may be reversible. Researchers at Chiba University in Japan found that anorexic women had lower levels of BDNF in their blood than healthy women or those who had recovered from anorexia. Women with low BDNF also had the lowest self-image, suffered from anxiety and depression, and performed poorly on certain tests of cognitive ability. Further study is needed to determine what role BDNF plays in anorexia, and if it can be used to predict the risk of developing it, but Bulik forecasts that "...BDNF may emerge as a useful biomarker of [anorexia] and of recovery from [anorexia]." Faculty of 1000: Biology and Medicine |
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| Related Anorexia Current Events and Anorexia News Articles Excessive exercise can be addicting, new study says Although exercise is good for your health, extreme exercise may be physically addicting. Rats given a drug that produces withdrawal in heroin addicts went into withdrawal after running excessively in exercise wheels, according to new research. Rats that ran the hardest had the most severe withdrawal symptoms. Case Studies: Dietary Supplements with Steroids Pose Health Three cases of patients suffering from the adverse affects of steroid-enriched dietary supplements have been reported by researchers at Henry Ford Hospital. Why anorexic patients cling to their eating disorder Anorexic patients drastically reduce food intake and are often not capable of changing their behavior. Review provides new insights into the causes of anorexia New imaging technology provides insight into abnormalities in the brain circuitry of patients with anorexia nervosa (commonly known as anorexia) that may contribute to the puzzling symptoms found in people with the eating disorder. Scientists from Scotland to Sweden Arrive at NIMBioS to Study Bovine TB In 2008, the U.S. Department of Agriculture spent $31 million to depopulate herds of cattle affected by bovine tuberculosis (TB), even though the risk of the disease has been significantly reduced in the U.S. over the past several decades. Milkshakes Are Medicine for Anorexic Teens in Family-Based Outpatient Therapy Getting your teenager to drink a chocolate milkshake isn't something most parents need to worry about. Psychiatric disorders are common in adults who have had anorexia The study was initiated in 1985. A total of 51 teenagers with anorexia nervosa were studied, together with an equally large control group of healthy persons. The groups have been investigated and compared several times as the years have passed. Varicella zoster infection causes severe autoimmune hepatitis Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic liver inflammation of unknown etiology that is characterized by the presence of circulatory autoantibodies and ongoing liver tissue damage. New CT technology shows anorexia impairs adolescent bone development Children and teenagers with even mild cases of anorexia exhibit abnormal bone structure, according to a new study appearing in the December issue of Radiology and presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). VYVANSE provided behavior, inattention and math test score improvements in children with ADHD Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPGY), the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced results from a 13-hour analog classroom study in school-aged children aged 6 to 12 years with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). More Anorexia Current Events and Anorexia News Articles |
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